The Christianista

My Best friend just got engaged and I couldn’t be happier for her. It’s so funny how these things work and especially when we aren’t paying attention or planning for them. I remember when she first met her fiancé, she told me that he looked like a vampire. Then she asked me to go with her to her second meeting with him because he was in town. We went to the city and had dinner with him and his friends. It turned out that he was the male version of her, but not as mean. He was smart, dark, open-minded, and had the most genuine heart a person could have. I thought he was great, but didn’t think he would make the cut because my friend is such a little heart breaker. I tease her about that all the time. It’s been about four years and now they are engaged.

Bestie and her Fiancé'

I relate being engaged to being a Christian for the first time. Before you are engaged, you learn about this mysterious man. Your friends and loved ones want to hook you up with him, but you are still trying to figure things out. You hear from your family and friends why this new guy is the perfect man for you and you trust their opinion. You then start to think that maybe this guys deserves a shot, but you are in other relationships that you have to let go of  first. You aren’t ready to stop partying and going out. You do a little research on him by googling him. Then finally you agree to go on a group date to meet him. You meet him and find him interesting. You agree to go on a second date, and then a third. Before you know it, you are going on dates with him every Sunday. You get to know him and you are spending time with his family and friends. It’s now been a year and he asks for your hand in marriage. Your heart is fluttering, but you have no doubt in your mind that he is the one for you. Finally you say yes. Now what?

Partaking in the celebrations

cool dudes aka our cool friends

When you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior and say yes that you want him in your life forever, just like a new marriage, it takes work. I’ve researched a couple of steps on how to keep your relationship with Christ new and fiery and also how to nurture it to help it grow. Like a new marriage, becoming a new Christian is synonymous with what you would do as a new couple:

1. Never stop learning about each other – Don’t ever stop learning about God. Even if you get to the point of reading the entire Bible through. Study the bible and learn how to be loving, forgiving, strong, and more like Him. Biblegateway (http://www.biblegateway.com/) is an excellent resource for devotions, reading plans, verses of the day, and more.

2. Communication – Talk to God and pray without ceasing. Prayer does not have to be formal, it is a personal conversation between you and God.

3. Tell your friends about Him – Friends and family are your support and should hold you accountable. Now that you are Christian, there should be no question about if you are or not. People should know by the way you carry yourself and act.

4. Hang out with other married couples – I’m not saying cut off your friends who aren’t Christian, but also find other Christian friends. You will find encouragement and the problems that you may face, your new Christian friends may have already encountered them and have great advice for you.

Being a Christian means so much more than going to church and saying that you are a Christian. Being a Christian means more than wearing a cross and being baptized. It’s a way of life. It means believing the Bible and relating it to everyday life. It means believing that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins. It means knowing the difference between right and wrong and choosing “right”. It means letting Jesus be the example of how life should be led.

You better watch your back because I'm watching Ari's

Oh, and it was her bday so I guessed she deserved Lucy

To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”

~ C.S. Lewis~

love,
the christianista

Warm days at the farmers market, bright flowers, and dresses! My cousin is getting married in Florida this month, so I’ve been doing some heavy dress shopping. It’s so hard to stay focused on one dress when there are so many to choose from. So why pick one?

Besotted Dress from Anthropologie

Double Knit V-Neck Dress by Forever 21

Spellbound Maxi Dress by Anthropologie

Maritime Dress by J.Crew

love,
the christianista

Can you spot the cheaper of the two? I mean, they are both pretty affordable and cute. Click on the pictures to see if you were correct.

Shawl-collar cardigan

Shawl - cable knit sweater

love,
the christianista

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I still don’t know what I’m wearing! I need something that is cute because I will see my friends who I haven’t seen in a while and I want to impress, hehe. I have to fit into something festive for the holiday. Something comfy in case we play games after dinner because I have to win. And last but not least, something that covers my stomach because it will be inflated by the end of the day. Oh, and I can’t forget a nice big bag to fill with snacks for when we go to the movies. I heard that Unstoppable is a great movie. This is what I’m thinking of wearing:

Chunky Striped Long Dress from Forever 21

Tim Hamilton Combat Boots

Big red flower just to show I'm festive

Luana 'Bubble' Convertible Flap Hobo big enough for Movie snacks

Happy Thanksgiving!

love,
the christianista

Psalm 107:1 – Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

When preparing for my trip to London, I was looking for two things. The first was a coat which I finally found after 4 days of non stop searching in 4 different cities. I wasn’t that satisfied, but was in dire need of a coat that went past my butt. The second thing was a cute hat, with a Fedora being my top pick. I still didn’t find one.

Once in London, I searched for Fedora’s, but they are so hard to find that I sadly returned without one.   I recently ran across a website that answered all of my prayers. 1001 Fedora hat.com is THE best place to find Fedora hats and much more.

This hat would have gone great with black ankle length dress and brown belt.

Paper Braid Fedora

I love Keira Knightley and especially how she rocks her Fedora in the Fall.

Keira Knightley

Cheers and Fedoras!

love,
the christianista

I love the nude heel, love love love it!! However, every time I want a product that is nude, it’s not on me. Nude tights, nude heels, nude bra, even “invisible” solid deodorant shows up on me. It’ s because I’m black isn’t it (throwing out the race card he-he)?! I’m joking, but seriously, nude colors do not work for African American women. As far at the deodorant thing, I’ve got that figured out. However, I was still struggling with the nude heel. Not wanting to settle for just another dark brown pump, I gave up.

I gave up until I saw Melody Thornton in nude heels at the 6th Annual Hollywood Style Awards below who is the exact same shade of graham cracker as I am.

Melody Thornton at the 6th Annual Hollywood Style Awards

From that point on, it was my mission to find the perfect nude for my complexion. See below to match your complexion.

I don’t know about you, but when I look cute, I work out better. At least I feel like when my outfit is on point, so are my crunches. I don’t get tired as fast and I run pretty on the treadmill when I have on my favorite Lululemon tank. Nowadays with stores like Lululemon and Lucy, you can actually look stylish while going to the gym and after for after gym errands. These are some of my favorites from Lululemon.

Flow and Go Tank by Lululemon

Awareness Tank by Lululemon

love,
the christianista

I wanna GHOE!!!

love,
the christianista

If you’d like a 2 piece pants suit by designer Norma Kamali that would usually run you a couple of thousand of dollars for just $35, you better go before church. If you haven’t noticed, Walmart is making big changes and going through a major uplift. I’ve noticed more trendier items and better quality lately. Like the new fall two piece Prince of Wales check blazer and trousers. Designer Kamali has carefully tailored this suit and I’ll be heading to Walmart shortly to get mine. If you get one, please share your pics and I will share mine.

love,
the christianista

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Liz Claiborne New York Outlets. All opinions are 100% mine.

Fall is creeping in, Halloween decorations are coming out, leaves are falling, and September only has two more days left! What happened to my summer? Long gone are concerts in the park? Long gone are humid warm walks around the lake? Long gone are trips to the beach? Long gone are  white tees and flip flops? Long gone are trips to 7-eleven for a Slurpee and blasting Ciara on the stereo while riding with the sunroof open. It seems like I was just getting bikini ready, now it’s time to put away my swimsuits, zip up my jacket, and put my shorts away. Wait! I heard that I could keep my shorts out a little longer. This fall, shorts are here to stay.

This weekend in particular, I am headed to do a little fall shopping. Initially to get ready for my London trip in October, and secondly to take advantage of all the summer items going on sell. Gilroy outlets here I come, first stop Liz Claiborne New York Outlets! Since shorts are still around to feed my fall fashion appetite, I’m pretty sure I will get them on sale. Especially because Liz Claiborne is a having a humongous sale. They are having a sell on their entire inventory with 40%-70% off. That is insane.

My plan is to return on Saturday with at least 3 pairs of shorts and black aviator sunglasses. Wish me luck! Good night summer, good morning Liz Claiborne

love,
the christianista

Liz Claiborne New York Outlets

I promise that I’m not a label groupie, but it’s something about Lanvin that has me lurking their websites and stores. When I was in college I bought my first pair of Lanvin eye glass. They were $400!!! When you are a broke college student, that is too much. However, I thought I was baller, I had a great summer internship with amazing pay, so I was set. Long story short, I lost the glasses and promised myself to either sleep/shower/dance in my next pair of glasses or never spend that much on a pair of glasses again.

I still haven’t lost my love for Lanvin because things like their Safari Jacket keeps appearing. I want this vest, will I get it? Who knows.

Lanvin Safari Jacket

love,
the christianista

Just in time for your weekend shopping. These are both nice tuxedo jackets, but one will cost you $4,995 and the other $129. Which is the least expensive? Click on the jackets to find out how much they cost and where to buy them?

love,
the christianista

It’s amazing what a big bright square ring can do for a plain outfit. I’m not a huge fan of lots of jewelry and I like to keep clean and simple lines. Adding an accent piece of jewelry like a ring helps me accessorize without going over the top.

These are some really cute rings that I found on www.etsy.com. By the way, I love Etsy, which is an online store which only sells antique and handmade items. Oh yeah, I forgot to add that these rings are all under $30!!!

love,
the christianista

Sex and the City 2 is coming out tomorrow!!! I’m so excited and in true fan fashion, I will be sporting my best Carrie/Samantha threads. I’m sure these are not only on my wish list, especially considering only the ever so fashionable Carrie Bradshaw is showing them off on every magazine cover right now. These lavender suede studded pumps by Brian Atwood would go perfectly with my shear tank and jeans.

Lavender Suede Studded Brian Atwood Pump - $800

If you want to splurge on something other than shoes, you can still get this look for less:

Lavender Studded Pump by Steve Madden - $110

See you in a theater near you!

love,
the christianista

Dear God,

I never ask for much and this time is no exception. I’m only asking for a  Louis Vuitton limited edition speedy roses handbag. Thanks and I love you.

LV limited edition speedy roses handbag

love,
the christianista

So umm, I started with wish lists so that anyone wanting to show or give me a random gift of love would know exactly how to do so. I think I will start posting those wish lists here. Not too much to ask huh?

BDG Pleated Frock from Urban Outfitters

Beaded Elastic Headband from Forever 21

MICHAEL KORS Oversized Acrylic Watch, Blue

love,
the christianista

Or call it DKNY French Grain Leather Satchel. This black satchel with the detachable front pocket is everything I love about the sixties.  The detachable front pocket turns into a cute cross the chest bag. This is basically two bags for the price of one, wow! I think I’m in love…..AGAIN!

DKNY French Grain Leather Satchel, www.dkny.com

love,
the christianista

Picture from http://sophiewears.blogspot.com

So, my obsession with my eyebrows started about 4 years ago. I noticed how over powering my eyebrows were when I dyed my hair copper. I’ve had so many different hair styles from a short boy cut to a medium length copper layered look to a large curly fro. During all of my hair transitions, the  one thing that has remained the same, is MY EYEBROWS. I have really dark eyebrows and I like to keep them thin, and didn’t realize how thin I kept them until my bestie told me. To me, keeping my eyebrows thin brought out my slanted and lidless eyes. In reality, all I had to do was lighten them. Once I started searching for “people with dyed eyebrows” I found out about the new brow less fad. Personally I love it!

love,

the christianista

Picture from http://sophiewears.blogspot.com

Maria Sharapova Collection by Cole Haan Women's Air Milano Sandal

I’m a southern girl, so bare feet in the grass or on the sidewalk brings back a sense of home when I’m in the city. However, I will NOT sacrifice my comfort for fashion. OK, maybe I will wear a shirt that forces me to suck in my gut instead of breathing, or a pair of low rider true religion jeans that I have to pull all the way up before I sit down, but that’s it. I will not wear heels unless they are as comfortable as wearing flats. I refuse. I can make special arrangements for the nude L.A.M.B. Platform Pump, but that’s it!! Something that scares me is when I walk through the mall and pass the Cole Han store; I can just see myself there in like 40 years due to my unwillingness to fully commit to fashion. It’s funny because I recently found these really cute shoes that are suppose to feel like Nike Air on your feet. When I went to look for them, and learned that they are sold at Cole Han, I almost died. Hey I’ve never discriminated before, why should I start now? The gladiator sandal is by Maria Sharapova’s Collection for Cole Haan Air ($161.23) and I can’t wait to try them.

love,

the christianista

When I go out with my friends, I try to pick the cutest outfit, church shouldn’t be any exception.

St. John Collection Knit Blazer with Flower Pin

STUDIO STRETCH VEST by Express

Prima Wool Suit by J.Crew

Lightweight wool blazer by Banana Republic

love,

the christianista

I usually don’t like Coach too much, but they have a few hot metallic bags. One of my friends was carrying one of their bags and I couldn’t tell from first glance that it was by Coach. I already love metallic, so I would obviously like these.

PEYTON TEXTURED METALLIC CROSSBODY

PEYTON METALLIC LEATHER DRAWSTRING CROSSBODY

MADISON METALLIC LEATHER LARGE HIPPIE

love,

the christianista

Find bags at www.coach.com

Blake Lively from Gossip girl says she doesn’t need a stylist. She says her mom and sister were both models and she loves fashion. She has this classic and sophisticated style that I love. At 22 years old , Blake says she likes classic brands of clothing like Chanel which matches her classic choice of music(Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf, Chet Baker). Even though she receives harsh critiques (“She’s the one that looked like a mess in that Nina Ricci dress at the Golden Globes!”) I’m still a fan.

“you know you love me, xoxo”

the christianista

Minx nails have been around in California for a while, and now have caught the attention of the south and east coast of the US. I’ve come to believe that Beyonce has something to do with the widespread of this new type of nail design. Minx nails are similar to the stick on nails I use to have as a little girl but with extra strong super glue and crazy designs. These nails are suppose to last for 2 weeks without chips or cracks.

If you’re like me and hate sitting in one place longer than 30 minutes, minx nails may be the way for you. When getting your minx manicure, you don’t have to wait for your nails to dry. You pick out  a design, it is then shaped to your nail, glued onto your nail and then you’re done! Voila!! Unlike your normal manicure, a minx nail manicure alone could cost at least $40.

Find a minx salon location near you at http://www.minxnails.com/salonlocator/index.php?c=1

have fun and minx it up!

love,

the christianista

Instead of fighting the cold changing weather, curl up on a rm couch while still looking cute.  Bring out your inner kid and lounge in these footed PJ’s while watching a good feeling movie like Love Actually. You can purchase these Paul Frank footed PJ’s from www.paulfrank.com. Warm feet, warm couch, and great movie, it can’t get any better than that. Wait! Did someone mention hot cocoa?

I can’t speak for you, but when I dress nice for any occasion, I feel motivated. I feel motivated to talk to more people, sit in the front row, and not rush off.  The same thing goes for working out. When I’m cute for my workout, I’m up early, I tend to meet new friends, and I stand in the front row during fitness class.

1. You tend to be more motivated:
You feel good about yourself when you look and wear the clothes that are complimentary to your body.

2. You are more confident:
There is nothing like wearing a workout outfit that is not flattering to your body. Take the time to shop around and find something that is made for your body. Your health is a great investment.

3. You may meet someone cute:
You never know when you’ll be approached by someone who is interested in you.

4. You can run errands right after your workout and still look fab:
Most of my Saturday morning workouts are followed by trips to the grocery store, hair salon, nail shop, and/or mall.

Here are a few cute workout outfits

My favorite places to buy workout clothes:

www.lucy.com
www.puma.com
www.victoriasecrets.com
www.lululemon.com

It’s Friday!!! You wanna wear your jeans, but maybe you’re going to dinner with friends after work. How to tackle the casual/work/cute look.  Try something like this:

sweater: jcrew

jeans: hudson

shirt: jcrew